Archive for month: May, 2013

Biking and walking trails are sprouting up everywhere in Georgia…and the highly-successful Silver Comet Trail is among the most popular.

Now, MillionMile Greenway announces another big trail idea: the Gold Belt Trail, designed to link the Silver Comet to other parts of North Georgia and beyond. MillionMile Greenway assists communities in Georgia and elsewhere to create and expand greenways and trails. Cartersville and Bartow County recently asked MMG to help connect them to the Silver Comet.
The result is an anchor segment of the bold new Gold Belt Trail. The Gold Belt Trail will follow the diagonal corridor across Georgia that geologists call the “Gold Belt” – linking gold mining and other mineral heritage communities with each other in a scenic bicycle and pedestrian trail. Imagine Dallas, Acworth, Cartersville, Canton, Dahlonega, Dawsonville, Helen and Clayton as links in a chain of gold nuggets from West Georgia to the mountains of North Carolina – spanning about 200 miles.

“Folks in Bartow County and Cartersville have enjoyed using our community trails for many years,” says Cartersville resident and Gold Belt Trail supporter Tommy Hall. “Now we can connect the Silver Comet to other communities across North Georgia.”
The Gold Belt Trail, unlike the Silver Comet, will not use old railroad beds except for short stretches. Instead, MMG will help each city and county find routes that fit their individual needs and resources. MMG will also provide technical and marketing assistance to communities that want help in implementing the trail. “We know this is a long-term vision. Some communities want to work on their portion immediately while others may take several years to figure out how to participate,” explains Jim Langford, president of MillionMile Greenway. “We’re here to help in any way that makes sense for them.”

Benefits of the Gold Belt Trail
• Conserving land for new parks and connecting them together with trails
• Creating healthy options for recreation in each city and county along the trail
• Increasing tourism and economic development for Gold Belt Trail communities and Georgia as a whole